"Crue get up." "Hagahgafra."
Yang frowned as she dragged the Faunus' sleeping bag out from under Weiss' bed. Where she expected to see a mop of dirty blonde hair, she instead saw two bare feet. "Did you go in the wrong way?" The blonde half laughed.
When the Faunus didn't respond, Yang grew a devious smirk. Precuring a feather from somewhere, she began to tickle it against the bottom of Crue's foot. The reaction was immediate.
The sleeping bag jerked because of the sudden contact, and the person inside seemed to have forgotten he was in a sleeping bag and began thrashing. Somehow, Crue managed to get to his feet, and began to run around like a headless chicken.
Through this all, Yang was laughing and holding back tears, watching the Faunus run headfirst into a wall, and then falling backwards and lying still. "I'm still in the sleeping bag amn't I?" A muffled voice came from the bag.
"Y-Yeah." Yang managed to get out in between laughs. "What were you doing last night? You're usually the first up." She wiped away a tear.
"Stabbing your mother in the eye." Came the reply. Yang froze for a second, before thinking about it.
"Oh, you got into a fight with a bird." She appreciated the pun. Crue didn't respond, which made Yang slightly concerned. Her concern vanished when she heard a soft snoring. She sighed, walking into the bathroom and running the tap for a moment.
She came back later with a devious grin and a full bucket of ice-cold water.
…
"MOTHERFUCKER!" A pair of ears twitched in the direction of their dorm. "Crue is awake." Blake said, returning her attention to her book.
"Yeah I heard it too." Ruby laughed, flipping a page in her comic book. Next to the two of them, Weiss sighed, as she was the only one studying at the time. At least that's what it appeared she was doing to the others.
She was actually looking up new pranks to pull, ones that hopefully wouldn't give anyone a concussion. It was as the trio were relaxing, they glanced out a window and saw two blondes running at high speeds.
Crue was giving chase to Yang, waving a toilet plunger over his head menacingly as the brawler was busy laughing her head off.
There was a moment of silence as the trio watched, before going back to their activities. "Do you think he realises he's shirtless?" Blake asked, licking her finger before turning a page.
"Nope." Ruby popped. She felt someone tugging on her cape and turned to check who it was. She blinked a few times when she couldn't see anyone. She heard a giggle and turned to find Weiss nose deep in her book.
Pale blue eyes peeked over the top, before immediately ducking back down. "Weiss?" The leader asked slowly.
"Hm?" Weiss replied, much too high pitched. "Yes what is it?" Ruby's silver eyes squinted at her friend. Before she could speak, the sound of footsteps approached the group, and a plunger flew by, sticking to the wall.
"HAH! You missed!" Yang called back, before noticing her teammates. She screeched to a halt and smiled "Hey guys. Sup."
"WHY'DYOUSTO-" Yang was unceremoniously bowled over by Crue, who could not stop in time. "Ow."
The two untangled themselves and stood straight, brushing off some dirt as they agreed to leave the chase for another time. "Hey Crue. Haven't seen you since you said you were going to build a flamethrower."
Ruby greeted the Faunus warmly, causing him to smile widely. Ruby's own eyes widened with glee. "Didya build it?!"
"Nope!" He smiled wider causing Ruby, as well as her team, to look confused. "I built, an explosion thrower."
"How do you throw explosions?" Weiss asked, looking up from her book.
"I have no idea! But it worked!" The Faunus threw his arms out in happiness. "Should I go get it?"
"And risk blowing up the school?" Blake asked, lowering her book slightly. Crue waved it off.
"It builds character."
"You can go to the room." Ruby told the Faunus. "But you might want to put on a shirt." She nodded to his bare chest. "Cause I'm hoping you're only cold."
Crue looked down at his exposed chest, and immediately wrapped his arms around himself, his face turning red. He gave an awkward laugh and sidled away, before it turned into a full blow sprint to reclaim what left of his dignity.
The scene gave all the girls a laugh, as they returned to their various activities, Yang grabbing a seat near the window and flipping on her Scroll. "So, Rubes, you excited for the weekend?" She asked, eying her sister through the screen.
The reaper smiled widely as she slapped her comic book closed. "You betcha! Can't wait to see dad again."
"I'm sorry, what's happening?" Weiss asked, closing her book gently and slipping out her Scroll from between the pages.
"Me and Yang-" "Yang and I." "Me and Yang are going to Patch to spend the weekend with our Dad. Then we'll be back with two days to spare before the tournament starts." Ruby said happily.
"I hope you enjoy it." Blake said, missing her own father somewhat. Weiss scrunched up her nose slightly, not missing hers at all, but also worrying about the amount of time they had left to train.
"We're gonna be training with our Dad while he's there." Yang said, reading the heiress' expression. "He's a Professional Huntsman, so he can definitely give us some tips."
"Ah, then it's fine." She smiled. "I suppose that will leave the two of us and Crue to represent team RWBY."
"C B and W." Blake mused, trying to think of a suitable team name.
"You can be Team CoWBoy." Yang laughed, causing her sister to start snickering as well.
Weiss grew a flat look, before staring Yang right in the eye and saying. "Yeehaw."
The absolute bluntness of the phrase caused the rest of her teammates to lose it, holding onto their stomachs in laughter while Weiss smiled to herself. It might not have been a prank, but she got her friends to laugh.
The laugh was interrupted by a very large KABOOM! Followed by Crue suddenly running by them, dressed this time, and a very, very pissed off looking Glynda Goodwitch.
"Girls." She said shortly, nodding to them, showing her soot covered face. "If Crue does not happen to make it to lessons today, please give Professor Port my apologies and explain he is either in detention or the hospital wing."
The four girls said nothing, simply nodding as Goodwitch rolled up her sleeves and slapper her crop against a nearby wall. A small desk lamp was covered in a purple glow and hurled away in the direction of Crue.
There was a moment of silence, before a thwack and a cry of pain. The girls absolutely did not see Professor Goodwitch smile at that. Absolutely not.
"We should probably get to lessons." Ruby suggested, quickly packing up her comic book and leaving the murderous mistress to her task. Her team agreed and rapidly made their way to their class.
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" Crue could be heard shouting, followed by a cry of pain.
"He's probably not gonna make it to graduation." Blake joked, as they made their way down the hall, ready for another day at Beacon.
…
"Preparations are complete my La-" Watts stopped in the middle of his words, staring at Salem. The Queen of all Grimm, his employer, and a woman that could kill him with her pinky. "What is in your hands?"
"Hm?" Salem looked up, her black and red eyes blinking and refocusing. "Ah, Watts. I did not hear you come in." She held out her hand, the object she had been constantly squeezing folding out in her open palm.
"I discovered it in Cinder's room. Hazel informed me it was known as a 'stress ball'." The bright red ball rolled slightly in the pale palm. "And thanks to the actions of our dear King, I am indeed quite stressed."
Watts nodded, before squinting slightly. "Does it say something on it?" It was times like these he wondered if he should get glasses. Salem gripped the ball and looked at it inquisitively.
"Yes, but it is quite faded." Her pitchblack eyes stared at the ball.
"Allow me." Watts offered, reaching into his pocket and producing a brand new Scroll. The newest model, one that he had designed specifically to resist being crushed by magical wolf beings.
The Queen of Grimm held out her hand, the faded words facing the Scroll. There was a 'click' of a picture, and then a soft humming. "It appears to say…" The moustached man waited for the image to be cleaned up.
"Idiot." He said proudly. "Cinder probably uses it whenever us 'idiots' stress her out." Watts chuckled to himself, before humming slightly. "Perhaps I should get one myself, specifically with her name on it."
Salem brought the ball back, now that she knew what it was the words said, she could clearly make them out. "So, all this time I have been holding this…" She gestured at it with her other hand. "Idiot Ball?"
"If you wish to call it that." Watts nodded, watching as his Lady examined the ball more thoroughly. A frown grew on her pale face, and she clenched it once more. A 'pop' sounded out, and Salem smiled.
"Well, no longer shall I hold this Idiot Ball. I can think of quite a few ways to better manage my stress." She smiled wickedly. "Watts. Send Gluttony to Beacon. I think it's time I took back my gift."
Watts nodded and stiffened himself, before spinning on his heel and marching towards his goal. "Oh, and Watts." He heard his Queen call.
"Yes, my Lady?" He turned, his moustache brimming with satisfaction.
"Fetch me a towel also." Her pale hand was outstretched, an odd green goo covering it. "It appears the remnants of the Idiot Ball are rather, thick."
His moustaches enthusiasm died with being resorted to such a menial task. "Yes, right away my Lady."
…
"In my defence, it was an accident." Crue said, currently sat in detention with Professor Goodwitch.
"Regardless." The teacher said, her face now clear of any ash. "You should not operate weapons within Beacon without supervision or permission. And you should definitely not aim them at a teacher."
"I didn't aim! You walked around the corner and I activated it when you bumped into me!" The Faunus' excuse fell flat when Goodwitch levelled him with a glare that would make Weiss' ice seem warm.
Crue shut his mouth and went back to work on his essay titled 'Why I shouldn't make explosions inside'. Crue frowned as he could see his writing get worse and worse the longer he wrote for.
He lay down his pen and shook his hand out, the action catching Professor Goodwitch's eye. "Is there something wrong with having to write this much, Crue?" She asked, somewhat smugly.
"Well, yeah. Dyspraxia. Duh." Olive eyes blinked in surprise, not actually expecting a proper answer. "Wait, do, do you not know what that is?" The Faunus asked, his own mouth falling open in surprise.
"Jesus Christ how far behind in mental health is this world." The Faunus let his head fall into his hands.
"Now Crue, just because I do not know about this doesn't mean there isn't someone out there that does." Goodwitch frowned slightly, her hands linking together as she rested them on her desk and stared at Crue.
"Ok, yeah. Point." He gave her that one. "But what about fears." He countered. Goodwitch inclined her head slightly in confusion. "People are afraid of a lot of stuff, some of them rational, some irrational."
"True. Grimm, for example." She reasoned.
"Yes, but what about things that aren't Grimm. Like, enclosed spaces." Crue recalled being in the elevator with Sky. "Claustrophobia. If you send a Huntsman with that to say, I don't know, a cave or something. It would end badly."
"Are there other names for such fears." Professor Goodwitch realised his point, and wanted to prevent such an incident occurring.
"That's the problem." He answered, tapping his finger on the wooden desk. "There are hundreds, if not maybe thousands. But no one has taken the time to research them or find cures, because they are too busy with the Grimm and other things."
"Science, psychology and a whole heap of other stuff came to a grinding halt after Victory Day." He could remember reading it in one of the many books Oobleck had assigned the class. "And it's never gotten back up."
"I disagree with you on the science aspect." She held out a hand politely. "We can accurately monitor Aura, fly great distances and have even been able to transfer-" She caught herself. "-information in seconds."
"Yes, but those are all military applications." He frowned slightly, realising that all of these technological marvels probably came from…
"Atlas." Goodwitch spoke aloud, realising what he had insinuated. She huffed through her nose slightly. "I'll have a word with James. Surely they could spare some resources to aid the minds of their own people, as well as ours."
Crue smiled. "Grand."
"You still have to do the essay."
"Damn it."
Not much to say here, just wanted to get something out so that I have an excuse to move onto the next chapter.
Sorry for the wait, but at least it wasn't a year. I got a few reviews recently that helped me regain motivation to actually write this story, and I figured I should definitely get a new update out.
I also rethought a lot of how this story will go while including the information, characters and plot lines of the next volumes without absolutely butchering the story. That may have taken a while.
That'll be all for now, but I'll try and get the next one out quicker than three months. I hope you enjoyed, if you did let me know, and as always
Until Next Time
-Friday